Bank of New York Mellon (BK -1.38%) is a global financial services company that oversees almost $55 trillion in assets for its clients. It's also the country's oldest bank, tracing its roots back to Alexander Hamilton, who founded its predecessor in 1784. However, that was over 200 years ago; The real question is who owns the Bank of New York Mellon today?
NYSE: BK
Key Data Points
Today's BNY Mellon was formed in 2007 when the Bank of New York merged with Pittsburgh's Mellon Financial Corporation to create the world's largest custodian bank. Unlike a traditional bank providing commercial and consumer services, like taking deposits and lending money, BNY Mellon provides security services to asset owners, including other banks. Think of it like a bigger bank where smaller banks keep a safety deposit box of sorts.
Let's take a closer look at BNY Mellon, who's on its board of directors, and how to invest money in its stock.
Who is the owner of Bank of New York Mellon?
Bank of New York Mellon is a publicly traded company owned by its shareholders. Its predecessor, Bank of New York, was the first company to ever go public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1792. It has been a publicly traded company ever since.
Institutional investors own the vast majority of the company's stock these days (87.4% of its outstanding shares as of 2025). Insiders (i.e., the company's officers and board of directors) owned very few of its outstanding shares (0.18%).
Board of Directors
How to invest in Bank of New York Mellon?
Anyone can invest in the Bank of New Mellon. It trades publicly on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker BK.
It's easy to learn how to invest in stocks. Here are four steps you should follow to buy shares of the company:
Step one: Open a brokerage account
If you need to open one, check out our list of the best-rated brokers and trading platforms. Make sure you take time to research brokers to find the best one for you.
Step two: Set an investing budget
Determine how much you want to allocate to each stock. The Motley Fool recommends building a diversified portfolio with at least 25 stocks you plan to hold for the next five years. So, if you have $10,000 to invest, you should work toward allocating that money relatively equally across at least 25 stocks over time. However, if you only have $1000 to invest right now, it's best to pick 10 or so stocks and start building from there.
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Step three: Do your research
It's vital to thoroughly research any company before buying shares. Ensure you understand what it does, how it makes money, what sets it apart from competitors, its balance sheet, and its profitability. If you're considering investing in a bank, you should also make sure you know how to invest in bank stocks.
Step four: Place your order
When you're ready to buy shares, open the order page at your broker and place your trade. You'll need to:
- Determine the number of shares you want to buy (or the amount you plan on investing in fractional shares).
- Enter the correct stock ticker (BK for BNY Mellon).
- Decide whether to place a market order or a limit order (the Motley Fool recommends using market orders).
- Double-check your order page and submit your trade to become a BNY Mellon Shareholder.
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